This blog displays scenic photos taken from around Grand Marais, MI. Photos of rockhounding and nature adventures are also posted. Information is included about the Gitche Gumee Agate and History Museum and other scientific subjects. For more information about the museum and our unique mineral art, books, DVDs, and Online rockhounding classes please go to www.agatelady.com.

About Me

After more than a million miles of corporate travel, I moved to my family's home town of Grand Marais, MI in 1994. I now operate the Gitche Gumee Agate and History Museum as well as earn a living as a mineral artist and writer/designer. I hope that this blog will help me share my adventures and art with family, friends, museum patrons, and customers. You can learn more about the museum at www.agatelady.com.

Saturday, November 29, 2014

For Thanksgiving I travelled to Baraga, MI to spend time with my son and his wife, Kevin and Jericho. Thanks to Jericho's relatives who allowed me to tag along. Here are a few photos of Keweenaw Bay.

Before our long adventure, Kevin and I took an hour hike along the bay.

We were amazed at the high level of Lake Superior. The two photos below show a boardwalk that is flooded due to the high lake level.

Then Kevin and I headed west of Baraga around a half hour to investigate Limestone Mountain. This geologic formation has been studied since the 1840s. It is a complex mound with Paleozoic rock that exists no where else in the Upper Peninsula. The nearest rock of the same type occurs hundreds of miles to the southeast on Beaver Island. There are several theories about how this mound formed including various geologic causes to Kimberly pipe influence, meteor impact, and others. I think it is terrific that after more than 160 years of study -- the scientists don't know how the mound formed.

Limestone Mountain can be seen in the photo below.

Kevin wore his back country skies. I wore snowshoes. We all wore hunter's orange, including Kevin's dog, Quincy -- just in case.

On some of the sides of the mound there are sheer escarpments.

Our goal was to find the old ski hill that has not been open since the 1960s. When we found some of the rope-tow poles, we knew we found the right spot.

We were surprised that the ski hill was still fairly open. Of course, Kevin (who is an expert skier) had to ski down...

To repeat the hill, he had to climb back up.

Then on the way back to the car he skied a few of the drainage areas....

It was an awesome trek. I would like to go back when there is no snow so I can examine the rock escarpments. Thanks, Kevin, for a great adventure!

Friday, November 28, 2014

Today
I will post the second half of the photos from the snowshoe I took with
Helen Riley the other day when I visited her in Marquette. We
snowshoed around Presque Island.

I forgot to include the photo below yesterday. It is the heavy frost on Helen's car windshield.

Evergreens on Presque Island....

After walking the ridge down the center of the island, we snowshoed the trail back to the unplowed loop road. Rather than heading back to the car, we detoured over to the black lava rocks. They are really cool with the contrasting white snow.

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Yesterday I visited with my friend, Helen Riley, in Marquette to go snowshoeing. The drive from Grand Marais to Marquette was not too bad, but about half the way the roads were either snow covered or icy.

We headed over to Presque Island and snowshoed for an hour and a half around the island, including up and down the center ridge. There is certainly more elevation change on this little island than you would expect.

As we passed by the iron ore dock, there was one freighter tied up.

From the parking lot on Presque Island, I captured the photo below with the end of the freighter and the Superior Dome in the background.

Helen turning up the nature trail that cuts up and across the center ridge of the island.

Before the rain last weekend, Marquette received as much or more snow than Grand Marais. Some of the snow melt and rain formed hundreds of pools that are now frozen.